Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a condition that results in the irregular and oftentimes rapid beating of the heart, sometimes also referred to as an arrhythmic condition. Although AF may not in and of itself represent a threat to the health of the patient, it may represent a symptom of an underlying problem. Differentiating between different types of AF allows a physician to better diagnose and treat the underlying problem.
Atrial fibrillation is detected by monitoring the electrical signals (e.g., electrocardiogram signals) associated with the patient. Electrocardiogram signals are monitored by attaching two or more leads to the patient and monitoring the electrical response. In some cases, a physician or doctor will monitor ECG signals while putting the patient through a series of exercises such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The resulting ECG signal is analyzed to determine whether the patient is subject to AF. However, this requires the patient to be present in the physician's office and for the arrhythmia condition to present during the prescribed duration of the exam or test.
It would therefore be beneficial to develop a system that provides long-term monitoring and detection of AFs, which can be utilized to improve etiology of the atrial fibrillations.